Jeroboam’s Hand Withers
(2 Kings 23:4–20; 2 Chronicles 34:3–7)

1And beholde, there came a man of God out of Iudah (by the commaundement of the Lorde) vnto Beth-el, and Ieroboam stoode by the altar to offer incense. 2And he cryed against the altar by the comandement of the Lorde, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord, Beholde, a child shalbe borne vnto the house of Dauid, Iosiah by name, and vpon thee shall he sacrifice the Priestes of the hie places that burne incense vpon thee, and they shall burne mens bones vpon thee. 3And he gaue a signe the same time, saying, This is the signe, that the Lorde hath spoken, Behold, the altar shall rent, and the ashes that are vpon it, shall fall out. 4And when the King had heard the saying of the man of God, which he had cryed against the altar in Beth-el, Ieroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, Lay holde on him: but his hande which he put foorth against him, dryed vp, and he could not pull it in againe to him. 5The altar also claue asunder, and the ashes fell out from the altar, according to the signe, which the man of God had giuen by the commandement of the Lord. 6Then the King answered, and saide vnto the man of God, I beseeche thee, pray vnto ye Lorde thy God, and make intercession for me, that mine hand may bee restored vnto me; the man of God besought the Lord, and the Kings hand was restored, and became as it was afore. 7Then the King sayde vnto the man of God, Come home with mee, that thou mayest dyne, and I will giue thee a reward. 8But the man of God saide vnto the King, If thou wouldest giue me halfe thine house, I would not goe in with thee, neither woulde I eate bread nor drinke water in this place. 9For so was it charged mee by the worde of the Lorde, saying, Eate no bread nor drinke water, nor turne againe by the same way that thou camest. 10So he went another way and returned not by the way that he came to Beth-el.

The Old Prophet and the Man of God

11And an olde Prophet dwelt in Beth-el, and his sonnes came and tolde him all ye woorkes, that the man of God had done that day in Beth-el, and the wordes which he had spoken vnto the King, tolde they their father. 12And their father sayde vnto them, What way went he? and his sonnes shewed him what waye the man of God went, which came from Iudah. 13And hee saide vnto his sonnes, Saddle mee the asse. Who sadled him the asse, and hee rode thereon, 14And went after the man of God, & found him sitting vnder an oke: and he saide vnto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Iudah? And he sayd, Yea. 15Then he said vnto him, Come home with me, and eate bread. 16But he answered, I may not returne with thee, nor go in with thee, neither wil I eate bread nor drinke water with thee in this place. 17For it was charged me by the word of the Lord, saying, Thou shalt eate no bread, nor drinke water there, nor turne againe to goe by the way that thou wentest. 18And he said vnto him, I am a Prophet also as thou art, and an Angel spake vnto me by the worde of the Lord, saying, Bring him againe with thee into thine house, that hee may eate bread & drinke water: but he lyed vnto him. 19So he went againe with him, and did eate bread in his house, and dranke water.

20And as they sate at the table, the worde of the Lorde came vnto the Prophet, that brought him againe. 21And hee cried vnto the man of God that came from Iudah, saying, Thus sayeth the Lorde, Because thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lorde, and hast not kept the commaundement which the Lord thy God commanded thee, 22But camest backe againe, and hast eaten bread and drunke water in the place (whereof he did say vnto thee, Thou shalt eate no bread nor drinke any water) thy carkeis shall not come vnto the sepulchre of thy fathers. 23And when he had eaten bread & drunke, he sadled him the asse, to wit, to the Prophet whome he had brought againe. 24And when hee was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slewe him, and his body was cast in the way, and the asse stoode thereby: the lion stood by the corps also. 25And beholde, men that passed by, sawe the carkeis cast in the way, and the lion standing by the corps: and they came and tolde it in ye towne where the olde Prophet dwelt.

26And when the Prophet that brought him backe againe from the waye, hearde thereof, hee sayde, It is the man of God, who hath bene disobedient vnto the commandement of the Lorde: therefore the Lorde hath deliuered him vnto the lion, which hath rent him and slayne him, according to the worde of the Lorde, which hee spake vnto him. 27And he spake to his sonnes, saying, Saddle me the asse; they sadled him. 28And he went and founde his body cast in the way, and the asse and the lion stoode by the corps: and the lion had not eaten the bodie, nor torne the asse. 29And the Prophet tooke vp the body of the man of God, & layed it vpon the asse, & brought it againe, and the olde Prophet came to the citie, to lament and burie him. 30And hee layed his bodie in his owne graue, and they lamented ouer him, saying, Alas, my brother. 31And when he had buried him, hee spake to his sonnes, saying, When I am dead, burie ye mee also in the sepulchre, wherein the man of God is buried: lay my bones beside his bones. 32For that thing which he cried by the word of the Lorde against the altar that is in Beth-el, and against all the houses of the hie places, which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to passe.

33Howbeit after this, Ieroboam conuerted not from his wicked way, but turned againe, and made of the lowest of the people Priests of the hie places. Who would, might consecrate him selfe, and be of the Priestes of the hie places. 34And this thing turned to sinne vnto the house of Ieroboam, euen to roote it out, and destroy it from the face of the earth.